The lawmaker representing Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Pharm. Nnolim Nnaji, has urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps in salvaging the decaying state of roads in the South East zone by declaring a state of emergency on infrastructure in the region.
Hon. Nnolim, who made this appeal on Wednesday, when he led other federal lawmakers from the state to inspect the collapsed bridge at the New Artisan Enugu section of the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway, stated that most of the infrastructure in the zone had started collapsing and would need the intervention of the federal government to salvage the situation.
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He expressed concerns over the hardships that the people and travellers in the state have been facing since the collapse of the bridge on Monday, saying it’s only the urgent intervention by the federal government in collaboration with the state government that could remedy the ugly situation.
“We are here as members of the Enugu State Caucus of the House of Representatives. We are here to inspect the collapsed bridge that links Enugu to Port Harcourt. The Enugu section of the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway is what has broken down.
“We have looked at the development and have seen the extent of the damage. I spoke to the Chairman, House Committee on Works, and I also spoke to the Chairman of Senate Committee on Works about the development, and I am also aware that the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, spoke to the Minister of Works and also escalated this situation to the presidency,” Nnaji stressed.
While commending the state governor for the giant strides his administration had been making on infrastructure, Hon. Nnaji expressed regret over the badly damaged bridge, saying it would affect the aggressiveness with which the administration had been taking reforms on infrastructures and the state’s economy.
“We are concerned about this development, especially considering the aggressive infrastructural development being carried out by the governor of Enugu State. So, we are going to escalate this issue beyond what you think at the floor of the House and to the Federal Government to come to our aid and reconstruct this bridge because it is affecting the businesses, development and many other projects in Enugu especially this time that the state government is coming up with a lot of programmes that will enhance the development of Enugu State and its business environment.
Appealing to the people of the state, especially road users, for patience, the lawmaker assured them that they would do everything within their powers to ensure that the bridge was fixed in record time, adding that the government should see the collapsed bridge as an opportunity to carry out structural and integrity tests on bridges and roads in the region and the country at large to avoid a repeat of the incident.
“So, we are appealing to the people of Enugu State, the neighbours of the state and everybody who is using this road to exercise patience. I can assure you that the government of Enugu State and indeed the federal government will come up with a lasting solution to this problem,” he added.
Amongst the federal lawmakers that accompanied him to the site were Hon Chimaobi Atu, representing Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Hon Stainless Nwodo, representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo Uwani Federal Constituency, and Hon. Obi Aguocha, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South.
